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Friday, 31 August 2012

Do Canada's new regulations mean I need to replace my car seat?

If
you weren't yet in the market for a car seat at the start of 2012,
then you may have missed the cat that Canadian car seat regulations
have changed. As of the start of this year, new child restraint
equipment and booster seat requirements were made compulsory. Now
don't panic—this doesn't mean you have to wade through scores of
“legal” and “illegal” systems; there was a 19 month
transition period given to manufacturers to bring their designs up to
the requirements, so what's on the market now should be reflective of
those changes.

So
what has changed? Well, we've followed the example of the lower 48,
and have basically made the regulations that were already in place
more stringent. Specifically, as per Transport Canada, here are the
foremost of the modifications:

a
lap/shoulder seat belt is now required for all types of car seats

There is now more rigorous dynamic
testing to include parameters like the US's acceleration corridor,
as well as their performance criteria

the definition of “infant” has
been changed from 9 kg and under to 10 kg and under

the maximum weight limit permitted
for child seats has been increased from 22 kg to 30 kg

booster seats must now undergo
dynamic testing

the rebound limit on rear facing
child seats has been extended

school buses are now permitted to
use harnesses (that have been certified) for children with special
needs

So if you purchased a car seat prior to
the implementation of these changes, do you need to replace it? Not
if that's your only reason for replacing the car seat. However, if
the child seat was in a vehicle that was involved in a collision, it
needs replacing. The same holds true if its expiry date has passed,
since wear and tear can affect their performance.

Despite its extreme importance, car
seat shopping isn't something to be intimidated by; thankfully, in
Canada all child care seats that are available on the market must
have the National Safety Mark, ensuring that the seats meet Canadian
safety standards.